- BGG rank
- BGG #4,226
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Senators
- 3–5 players
- 45–60 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,040
- BGG rating
- 6.8
St Patrick
2021
Rules assistance for St Patrick
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–4 players
- 20–40 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.3/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for St Patrick
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
St Patrick is a board game released in 2021 for 3–4 players, 20–40 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Haig Tahta and Sacha Tahta Alexander and its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Auction / Bidding, and Trick-taking.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,496
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Honshū
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,494
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Skat
- 3 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 1810
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,068
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Tarot
- 2–8 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 1425
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,627
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Goblin Vaults
- 1–5 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,207
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Schafkopf
- 4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 1780
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,371
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Claim Anniversary Edition
- 2–4 players
- 25–35 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,171
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Nokosu Dice
- 3–5 players
- 45–60 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,652
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Pinochle
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 1864
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,804
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Aurum
- 3–4 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,909
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Plums
- 3–5 players
- 30–40 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,670
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Torchlit
- 2–5 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2024
About the game
St Patrick, first released as Salvage, is a simple trick-taking game that combines the fun of Hearts with the assessment of Oh Hell and the fairness of duplicate Bridge. Everyone starts at 20 points and takes damage over the course of play. The game ends when one player reaches 0, at which time the player with the most points wins. In the original Salvage game, an oil tanker is on fire, and you are part of a rescue team sent to deal with it. You will take damage as you put out the fires, but before the operation begins you can salvage oil as an insurance against the costs you expect to suffer. The key dynamic of the game is that before playing a hand you assess the strength of your cards and make a bid of how many points you are prepared to lose not to play the hand. That bid acts as an insurance, and you will be penalized only for points you lose above that bid. However, if everyone's combined bids equal the total amount of damage that can be taken, then everyone loses the amount they bid, and the hands get passed around the table so that other players have a chance to do better with the same hand. In St Patrick, you now compete to retain the most life points by using relics to avoid snake bites.
Designers
Publishers
- Matagot
- ABACUSSPIELE
- 4GAMES
- La Mame Games
Questions and answers
St Patrick supports 3–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for St Patrick is 20–40 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists St Patrick for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
St Patrick has a complexity rating of 1.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
St Patrick belongs to these categories: Card Game and Religious. Its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Auction / Bidding, and Trick-taking. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of St Patrick are: Haig Tahta and Sacha Tahta Alexander. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists St Patrick as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.